SYSTEM ASCENSION

”To get ingredients. Your father is transferring the mark.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed. ”He had a mark?”

Jordan and Sienna gave him a dumbfounded look.

”Fine.” He walked past her.

She glanced at Jordan and grinned. ”This is your chance son. Spend time with your big brother.”

”Shut up mother!” He rushed after Elias, ignoring her laughing behind.

As soon as he went past the students, he revised and caught Tiana’s hand.

”Huh?” She blinked.

”Come with me.”

”Huhhhh?”

He was already pulling her away.

Mona and Quil followed behind too.

Soon, the students were left standing.

Sienna walks up to them.

”Claude, you coming?”

”Fine.”

She announced. ”You all are allowed to leave this vicinity and explore the empire after breakfast. Meet up with your professors, but remember, no fighting or further. Punishment here are quite strict,”

”Yes, your highness.”

”Come to think of it, we’ll be having an execution soon.” She walked away.

Claude followed her.

The students were left to do what they wanted. They returned to the fortress and freshened up for the day. They had breakfast afterwards.

By now, the professors finally remembered they came here with students.

The students didn’t have to wait long before the tour began.

The first thing they noticed was the people. Every citizen they passed had black eyes. They had expected it, but it was still fascinating.

The students kept glancing at them.

Some citizens noticed. Most didn’t care. A few even stared back with the same curiosity.

The streets were much busier than they had expected.

Merchants filled the sides of the roads, selling all sorts of things they had never seen before. Strange fruits were piled into baskets, some with bright blue skin and others covered in tiny white spots.

There were also different kinds of meat hanging from wooden stalls.

Some were familiar. Others weren’t.

One stall caught their attention.

Several flat, golden pieces were being cooked over a large stone plate. The smell alone was enough to make several students stop.

”What is that?” one of them asked.

The merchant looked at them. ”Sunbread.”

”Sunbread?”

He nodded and turned one of the pieces over. ”It is made from ground grain and sunroot. Try it.”

One of the students hesitated before taking a piece. The moment he tasted it, his eyes widened.

It was sweet, but there was a strange spicy taste underneath. Soon, several others were buying it.

Further down the street, they found another food they had never seen before.

A thick purple soup was being served in wooden bowls.

The smell was strong enough to make them step back.

”What is that?”

”Night stew,” the merchant answered.

”What is inside?”

The merchant smiled.

”You don’t want to know.”

They immediately became more curious.

The tour continued.

The Black Empire was nothing like the places they were used to.

The buildings were mostly made from dark stone, with large windows and curved roofs. Some had strange metal decorations hanging from their walls.

Even the roads were different.

Black stones had been arranged neatly across the streets, leaving almost no dirt behind.

Children ran between the buildings, laughing and shouting.

The clothing was also different.

Most citizens wore long, loose garments that allowed them to move freely. Some wore dark robes decorated with silver threads, while others wore brightly colored clothes despite the name of their empire.

Jewelry was common, and so were strange markings. Some people had small symbols painted on their faces. Others had them on their hands or necks.

When asked about them, the guide simply explained that they represented families, professions, or old traditions.

The students soon realized that the Black Empire wasn’t as gloomy as its name suggested.

Musicians played strange instruments at the corners of the roads.

It was lively.

At one point, they reached a large public square.

A massive black statue of a little boy stood in the center.

Several people passed by and lowered their heads.

”Who is that?” one of the students asked.

”The first emperor, lord Muon.”

”Why is the statue a child?”

The guide shrugged. ”Lord Muon never aged.

That answer immediately silenced them. They stared at the statue.

”Let’s move!”

They continued down the path, when a hand suddenly yanked a student out of their midst. Only a few of them, like the student council and the professors, noticed, but they didn’t react because it was a leading family member.

Lady Hinger snatched Carlel out of their midst and took the girl to a table already served with sunbread and wine. Lady Anny was sitting.

”Did I do something wrong?” She asked.

”We just wanted to ask you a few questions.”

They took a seat.

Carlel still wasn’t comfortable with the sudden summon, and lady Anny sensed it.

”You don’t need to be all tensed up. We just want to ask you a few questions.”

”What is it then?”

”The servants in the palace were talking,” Lady Hinger took the lead. ”It seems there are a series of activities about to happen. We just want to ask you if you know about it.”

”I’m not from the black empire so I can’t be sure I’ll give the right answer.”

”Anything is fine.”

Lady Anny cleared her throat. ”Did you hear anything about an execution?”

”Execution?” Carlel sighed. ”I’m not sure. Her highness mentioned it though. I think there is a tournament coming up too.”

”Then the mark.” Lady Hinger cut in. ”Tell us about the mark ceremony.”

Carlel narrowed her eyes. ’It should be fine to tell them right? Everyone in this place knows about it too.’

”The mark ceremony happens whenever a person with the mark wants to transfer it to another. In this case, king Richard wants to transfer his.”

”Tell us about the mark.”

”It’s a medium of communication with the disciples. The ones with the mark can summon the disciples they represent.”

”Why would he accept the mark when he wants to transfer it?” Lady Anny leaned forward. ”Is there a downside to it?”

”He didn’t accept the mark, he was born with it.” Carlel answered. ”We were all born with it, and we can reject it. When we do, another child gets born with it.”

”You have been saying, summon disciple,” Lady Hinger cut in. ”Those entities in the drawings?”

”Yes.”

”And why would we need to summon them?”

Carlel sighed. ”Honestly, I hope we never summon all of them to a spot. Because, when we do, they’ll summon the ultimate marker. If it ever happens, dying by suicide is the safest option before that day.”